Carding machines



Oct. 1, 1968 W. F. LEE

CARDING MACHINES Filed May 18, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR William E Lee BY z -w ATTORNEY W. F. LEE

CARDING MACHINES Oct. 1, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 18, 1964 INVENTOR William F. Lee

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,403,424 CARDING MACHINES William F. Lee, 526 Union St., Spartanburg, S.C. 2%01 Filed May 18, 1964, Ser. No. 368,275 2 Claims. (Cl. 19107) My invention relates to an improvement in carding machines, which latter are employed in the textile industry for converting cotton, or other textile lap, which is supplied from the usual lap roll, into a sliver which latter is ultimately subjected to fibre twisting steps in the formation of yarn to be woven into cloth.

By way of background statement, the conventional carding machine includes a lap feed roll-driven scavenger roll which picks up airborne or other loose lint and fibre which is blown outwardly thereagainst through the space between the usual feed and licker-in roll by the air current that is created by the rotating licker-in cylinder. This scavenger roll is felt covered so as to pick up the said loose lint or fibre. Accumulation of fibre on the scavenger roll means that the scavenger roll has to be cleaned about nine times in every twenty-four hours of carding machine operation. This is a time consuming nuisance and means loss of lint.

Then too, of course, the felt lint pick up covering of the usual scavenger roll has to be frequently replaced due to the wear to which it is subjected by the feed roll.

Therefore, having reference to the foregoing, it is the primary object of my invention to dispense with the conventional scavenger roll, eliminate the stated objections to use of same; and to provide a substitute high pressure air discharging means which functions to so counteract the outward licker-in roll-generated air current at the site of the space between the feed roll and licker-in roll cover as to substantially prevent outward travel of loose lint through said space.

More specifically stated, it will be understood that my scavenger roll substitute will (1) effect a saving of fibre that would otherwise be lost; (2) avoid the time consuming necessity for scavenger roll cleaning; and (3) eliminate the expense of frequent replacement of the usual felt scavenger roll covering.

Additionally, the invention contemplates a scavenger roll replacement attachment means which is of simple, inexpensive construction; can be readily applied to conventional carding machines; and which is highly efficient in practical use.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be readily understood and appreciated by those versed in the art upon reference to the accompany drawings showing a presently preferred form of my scavenger roll substitute.

It is to be understood, however, that the disclosure of the drawings are to be taken as illustrative rather than limitative, since the invention is obviously susceptible of other mechanical expressions within the spirit and scope of the subject matter claimed hereinafter.

In the drawings, wherein the same reference characters have been used to designate the same parts wherever they appear in the several views:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the rear or card cylinder incorporating fibre lap-receiving end of a conventional carding machine with my invention applied thereto;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective of the rear end of a standard carding machine incorporating my invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the lint return cylinder detached from the carding machine;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of one end of the FIG. 3 cylinder and showing the bracket means for 3,403,424 Patented Oct. 1, 1968 mounting said cylinder on a portion of the feed roll stand at one side of the carding machine frame;

Referring to the drawings by reference characters cotton in a thick sheet or lap form 9 is delivered forwardly, as usual, from a lap roll (not shown) but the latter is axially supported in the open topped frame-provided side slots 8 shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings. A roll 9a subjacent to the undisclosed lap roll actuates the latter to deliver the fibrous lap 9 to the feed roll 10 of FIGS. 1 and 2.

Feed roll 10 delivers the lap 9 forwardly to the con ventional driven licker-in roll 11 which passes said lap 9 beneath the lower edge of the licker-in roll cover 12. The licker-in roll 11 supplies the fibrous lap 9 to the usual driven toothed card cylinder 13 with which is associated the endless series of carding flats 14.

At one side of the frame, the driven shaft of licker-in roll 11 provides the usual pulley 15 for the usual drive belt 16 for the conventional doifer or change gear pulley (not shown).

Conventionally the heretofore referred to scavenger roll for picking up loose fibre is located in the bight between the feed roll 10 and the adjacent portion of the licker-in roll shield or cover 12 and is frictionally rotated by feed roll 10. However, according to my invention, an elongated stationary frame-carried air blast delivering cylindrical casing 17 is located in the former scavenger roll position and functions to prevent outward ejection of loose lint from the licker-in roll lap 9 by the air current that is created by the said licker-in roll 11. A substantial saving of lint is thus effected.

The elongated cylindrical air blast-delivering cylinder 17 which replaces the conventional scavenger roll has closures at opposite ends providing threaded concentric outwardly projecting studs 21 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) which extend through bearing-providing holes in end brackets 18. Clamp nuts 21a on the threaded stud 21 ends serve to clamp cylinder 17 in different arcually adjusted positions.

Brackets 18, as indicated in FIGS. 2 and 4, are secured to plane horizontal surface portions of the machine frame side assembly which is here shown as including the feed roll stand units 23 of the conventional carding machine. These brackets 18 each have portions 18a which are provided with a longitudinal slot 19. Projecting through bracket slots 19 are bolts 22 which are threaded into tapped holes in the related horizontal surfaces of feed roll stand 23 and having heads for adjustably clamping the related bracket 18 firmly in place so as to support the casing 17 in the most effective relationship to the bight between the feed roll 10 and the shield or cover 12 which overlies the licker-in roll 11.

Air under pressure is supplied to casing 17 by means to be presently described; and it is here noted that the casing 17, which is arcually adjustable about 21, 21, has the longitudinal series of air discharge holes 26. Adjustability of casing 17 about its opposite bracket 18- carried end pivots 21, 21 (see FIGS. 2 and 4) enables the row of air outlet holes 26 to be so positioned as to discharge air under pressure diagonally downward and inward into the space below the free edge of the licker-in cover 12 toward the licker-in roll 11. Thus any airborne lint is blown to the licker-in roll 11 and lap 9.

Air under pressure is supplied to the diagonal and tubular inlet portion 17a (FIGS. 1 and 3) at one end of the casing 17 by means of a flexible pipe 28 which has its other end coupled to the restricted discharge outlet 30 of an air blast delivering housing 32. This housing 32 has suitably secured to its outer end, th inverted U-form mount 44 which is carried by the floor-supported stand 46 that is preferably attached to one side of the machine, as indicated in FIG. 1.

The blower housing 32 has therein the blower or impeller 38 that is mounted on shaft 40 which is suitably journalled in the housing 32. The suction side of blower 38 draws in air through the adjustable housing openings 36 (FIG. 1); and the shaft 40 of the blower 38 has fast thereon the drive pulley 42.

The blower pulley 42 is driven by a crossed belt 48 from a pulley 50 which latter is secured, as at 52, to the drive pulley 15 of the licker-in shaft 11a, as indicated in FIG. 1.

The blower 38 and its housing 32 may be of any desired form and it will be apparent that the attachment can be readily installed without alteration of the card machine per se.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show that the concentric threaded pintles 21 which project from each closed end of casing 17 extend through a hole of a bracket portion 18 which latter has the base 18a which is carried by the related frame portion 23 of the card machine (see FIGS. 2 and 4). Nuts 21a can be tightened on pintles 21 to lock casing 17 in any desired adjusted position in reference to the edge of the licker-in cover 12.

FIG. 4 shows the base portions 18a, 18a, as being longitudinally slotted 19 so that headed clamp bolts 22 can extend therethrough and into tapped holes (not shown) in side frame portions 23. This mounting of casing 17 admits of further adjustment of same as will be understood.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. The carding machine improvement which involves elimination of the loose lint-gathering scavenger roll, said carding machine having a frame providing side portions, a driven card cylinder, a driven lap feed roll, a driven licker-in roll adjacent the feed roll and receiving the lap from the latter to supply it to the card cylinder, there being a cover for the linker-in roll whose free outer edge terminates short of the cooperating areas of the lickerin roll and feed roll to leave an exit space between said cover edge and the feed roll for the loose lint-carrying air current that is generated by rotation of the lickerin roll and which airborne lint heretofore has been intercepted and gathered on a scavenger roll that was in part supported by both said cover and feed roll and frictionally driven by the latter; the said improvement comprising an elongated air-receiving casing having an inlet, said casing being closed at each end and of a length substantially corresponding to that of the feed roll and free licker-in cover edge, said casing having substantial- 1y longitudinally coextensive air outlet openings at one side; casing-supporting means in part provided by each casing end and adjacent machine side frame portions for disposing said casing in close parallel adjacency to both said feed roll and free licker-in cover edge, and above an upper portion of the feed roll, and with said air outlet openings directed toward the licker-in roll below the free edge of its cover; an air-under pressure supply source,

and air supply conduit connecting said source with said casing inlet, whereby when the carding machine is in operation such lint as is airborne by the licker-in generated air current in the space that is between the licker-in roll and feed roll and below the plane of the free edge of the licker-in cover will be driven by the casing-supplied air pressure into the lap that is being fed to the licker-in roll, said casing-supporting means comprising a bracket adjustably carried by each of said frame side portions for shifting movement to different fixed positions at least lengthwise of said side portions, whereby said casing can be shifted bodily toward or away from said licker-in cover; aligned fixed pintles projecting outwardly from the respective closed end portions of the elongated casing, the respective brackets having bearings receiving the related pintle, whereby to rotatably support said casing; means related to said brackets and pintles and securing the casing in a predetermined set position to operatively dispose the casing air outlet openings in relation to the free edge of the licker-in cover, there being a framecarried driven shaft on which said licker-in roll is fast, one end of said licker-in shaft extending beyond one frame side portion and having a driven pulley thereon, said air-under-pressure supply source comprising an air inlet and outlet-providing housing supported adjacent the aforementioned one frame side portion of the machine, a driven air blast-creating impeller in said housing; a shaft on which said impeller is mounted, a pulley on the outer end of said impeller shaft, an auxiliary pulley secured to the licker-in shaft pulley, and a flexible drive connection between the auxiliary pulley and the impeller shaft pulley.

2. The structure of claim 1, and the air inlet of said casing comprising a tubular branch projecting from the casing at least near the end thereof that is located adjacent the aforementioned one frame side portion of the machine, and said air supply conduit being flexible and connected to said tubular branch and to the housing outlet, whereby to admit of adjustment of the casing to different positions.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,115,683 12/1963 Reiterer 19107 XR 1,612,581 12/1926 Holden 19105 2,840,861 7/1958 Hewitt et al. 19263 XR FOREIGN PATENTS 637,541 3/1962 Canada. 762,403 11/1956 Great Britain. 240,769 6/ 1946 Switzerland.

MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner.

DORSEY NEWTON, Assistant Examiner. 

1. THE CARDING MACHINE IMPROVEMENT WHICH INVOLVES ELIMINATION OF THE LOOSE LINT-GATHERING SCAVENGER ROLL, SAID CARDING MACHINE HAVING A FRAME PROVIDING SIDE PORTIONS, A DRIVEN CARD CYLINDER, A DRIVEN LAP FEED ROLL, A DRIVEN LICKER-IN ROLL ADJACENT THE FEED ROLL AND RECEIVING THE LAP FROM THE LATTER TO SUPPLY IT TO THE CARD CYLINDER, THERE BEING A COVER FOR THE LICKER-IN ROLL WHOSE FREE OUTER EDGE TERMINATES SHORT OF THE COOPERATING AREAS OF THE LICKERIN ROLL AND FEED ROLL TO LEAVE AN EXIT SPACE BETWEEN SAID COVER EDGE AND THE FEED ROLL FOR THE LOOSE LINT-CARRYING AIR CURRENT THAT IS GENERATED BY ROTATION OF THE LICKERIN ROLL AND WHICH AIRBORNE LINT HERETOFORE HAS BEEN INTERCEPTED AND GATHERED ON A SCAVENGER ROLL THAT WAS IN PART SUPPORTED BY BOTH SAID COVER AND FEED ROLL AND FRICTIONALLY DRIVEN BY THE LATTER; THE SAID IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING AN ELONGATED AIR-RECEIVING CASING HAVING AN INLET, SAID CASING BENG CLOSED AT EACH END AND A LENGTH SUBSTANTIALLY CORRESPONDING TO THAT OF THE FEED ROLL AND FREE LICKER-IN COVER EDGE, SAID CASING HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY LONGITUDINAL COEXTENSIVE AIR OUTLET OPENINGS AT ONE SIDE; CASING-SUPPORTING MEANS IN PART PROVIDED BY EACH CASING END AND ADJACENT MACHINE SIDE FRAME PORTIONS FOR DISPOSING SAID CASING IN CLOSE PARALLEL ADJACENCY TO BOTH SAID FEED ROLL AND FREE LICKER-IN COVER EDGE, AND ABOVE AN UPPER PORTION OF THE FEED ROLL, AND WITH SAID AIR OUTLET OPENINGS DIRECTED TOWARD THE LICKER-IN ROLL BELOW THE FREE EDGE OF ITS COVER; AN AIR-UNDER PRESSURE SUPPLY SOURCE, AND AIR SUPPLY CONDUIT CONNECTING SAID SOURCE WITH SAID CASING INLET, WHEREBY WHEN THE CARDING MACHINE IS IN OPERATION SUCH LINT AS IN AIRBORNE BY THE LICKER-IN GENERATED AIR CURRENT IN THE SPACE THAT IS BETWEEN THE LICKER-IN ROLL AND FEED ROLL AND BELOW THE PLANE OF THE FREE EDGE OF THE LICKER-IN COVER WILL BE DRIVEN BY THE CASING-SUPPLIED AIR PRESSURE INTO THE LAP THAT IS BEING FED TO THE LICKER-IN ROLL, SAID CASING-SUPPORTING MEANS COMPRISING A BRACKET ADJUSTABLY CARRIED BY EACH OF SAID FRAME SIDE PORTIONS FOR SHIFTING MOVEMENT TO DIFFERENT FIXED POSITIONS AT LEAST LENGTHWISE OF SAID SIDE PORTIONS, WHEREBY SAID CASING CAN BE SHIFTED BODILY TOWARD OR AWAY FROM SAID LICKER-IN COVER; ALIGNED FIXED PINLETS PROJECTING OUTWARDLY FROM THE RESPECTIVE CLOSED END PORTIONS OF THE ELONGATED CASING, THE RESPECTIVE BRACKETS HAVING BEARINGS RECEIVING THE RELATED PINTLE, WHEREBY TO ROTATABLY SUPPORT SAID CASING; MEANS RELATED TO SAID BRACKETS AND PINTLES AND SECURING THE CASING IN A PREDETERMINED SET POSITION TO OPERATIVELY DISPOSE THE CASING AIR OUTLET OPENINGS IN RELATION TO THE FREE EDGE OF THE LICKER-IN COVER, THERE BEING A FRAMECARRIED DRIVEN SHAFT ON WHICH SAID LICKER-IN ROLL IS FAST, ONE END OF SAID LICKER-IN SHAFT EXTENDING BEYOND ONE FRAME SIDE PORTION AND HAVING A DRIVEN PULLEY THEREON, SAID AIR-UNDER PRESSURE SUPPLY SOURCE COMPRISING AN AIR INLET AND OUTLET-PROVIDING HOUSING SUPPORTED ADJACENT THE AFOREMENTIONED ONE FRAME SIDE PORTION OF THE MACHINE, A DRIVEN AIR BLAST-CREATING IMPELLER IN SAID HOUSING; A SHAFT ON WHICH SAID IMPELLER IS MOUNTED, A PULLEY ON THE OUTER END OF SAID IMPELLER SHAFT, AN AUXILIARY PULLEY SECURED TO THE LICKER-IN SHAFT PULLEY, AND A FLEXIBLE DRIVE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE AUXILIARY PULLEY AND THE IMPELLER SHAFT PULLEY. 